Something Serious Has Happened on Air Force One (a Tl/story by Geon)
- Thread starter Geon
- Start date
Especially given we know what historically led to this. So there's gonna be editorials up there demanding we don't have a repeat. Especially given these idiots are making the rest of the US look bad internationally.
Something sure to come up: The Kennedys tried to get the Freedom Riders to put the program on hold because it was making the USA look bad. THAT should come up in some of the news analysis. International opinion was more important than justice, was how Mom saw it, and from then on, she opposed any Kennedy in any primary that came along. In polls when asked who she'd be voting for, her answer was "Against Kennedy." So there's some Kennedy baggage to be brought up when the time's right.
Communist nations and organizations the world over will being using ALL OF THIS for propaganda for decades to come. Even with the current USSR leadership a bit distracted right now, they've got plenty of ambitious underlings that will make the propaganda points as part of climbing the career ladder.
But with the USSR a bit distracted, Mao's China is currently in the middle of the Cultural Revolution, next year Lin Biao will be named as Mao's official successor, though in RL that didn't happen due to his relationship with Mao falling apart in the late 60's, officially this was because he made criticisms about Mao's wife that he didn't like. But Mao is reported to have had all sorts of health problems in this period that he was covering up, so butterflies could happen and make all sorts of things happen in the PRC. Right now the US recognizes Taiwan as the legitimate China, so again butterflies here could see all sorts of things happening.
I'm looking at 1964 and I'm hoping that Geon can toss in some pop culture mentions, nothing serious, just wondering what changes might be happening in media and culture because of what's already happening.
Oh and I did have a thought, if McCormack wants some good PR right now, his First Lady could announce her official project, whatever Geon thinks it should be. Basically a 'feel-good' story that the media can use to let people know that it's not all bad news. But did Jackie Kennedy accept the offer to become Harriet Joyce's Press Secretary?
Because I do know that it's mentioned that McCormack's wife is 8 years older than and has health issues so Jackie could basically serve as an 'Unofficial First Lady' and reorganize the First Lady's office, make it more coherent, and earn a small salary for herself and stay in Washington for at least the remainder of her children's school terms in 64.
They already were doing that.
Doesn't change the fact they should be acting on it. Tell the govenors if they don't start fixing shit, then the Commies get decades of propaganda to use against us, and more to the point, these idiots are causing more damage then their fears are.
It's going to get much worse in terms of the propaganda war, I don't think I was able to convey that correctly. But that's is where this situation is currently heading, the Communists will win the propaganda war and the majority of Africa and Asia will fall under the Soviet or Chinese umbrellas unless something dramatic happens to turn all of it around and turn it around FAST.
That's exactly what worries me. This may embolden more agitators to try it.
I think the opposite, I think the impression that many will get is that Minnie May is a living saint in all but name and 'Billy Robert' is damn lucky she asked the court for mercy for him since otherwise the state would have thrown the book at Billy Robert to make an example of him. It's doubtful that a second case will see the same mercy extended, in fact the Federal government would go out of it's way to make an example, and even the likes of the KKK are smart enough to understand that.
I think the idea behind the forgiveness is to show that, unlike the Freedom Army, Minnie May and her church are willing to extend forgiveness to those who ask for it, and refuse to stoop to 'An Eye for an Eye'. Though I think Robert should count his lucky stars that he was actually SORRY. I think they'd be a little more stern with someone who simply said 'Sorry' after bombing the church in the most dry tone possible.
An Interlude
Geon
Donor
Here is a lighthearted little offering for the Christmas season. As I told you in an earlier post I am fond of the circus and this is what I had in mind back then. I am writing this as my muse kicked into high gear last night while I was eating supper and I had to write this down. Also, I wanted to change the tone a bit given how dark my TL has been. To @ric350 and others who may have suspicions that I am moving toward a dystopia I sincerely hope this little bit of whimsy will correct that perception. Please enjoy and have a Merry Christmas.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Denver, Colorado; July 7, 1967, 7:15 p.m.:
Ethel Kennedy sat in her seat nervously looking at the program for the next act of the Clyde-Beatty Cole Brothers Circus. Next to her were 7 of her 9 children all of which were extremely excited. After all, how many kids could say their daddy was a circus star?
Ethel thought back to the very moment when this insanity began. A year and a half after her husband had ended his time as Attorney General, in 1966 they had gone to the Barnham and Bailey Circus when it had come to Los Angeles. With them, as a guest, was George Plimpton, noted journalist, columnist, and a friend of the Kennedy family. Plimpton believed that you couldn’t really write about something unless you had first experienced it. He was planning to write a book on the circus as well as a TV documentary on the life of circus people but of course that meant getting into the heart of how they lived.
But did George Plimpton choose to go in for the rough and tumble – but relatively safe route of the roustabouts who put up the tents and helped set up the show from town to town? No. He wanted to see the circus from the perspective of a performer in one of the most elegant and dangerous acts in the circus, the flying trapeze.
But it wasn’t enough that George Plimpton wanted to put his neck on the line, no he had roped her husband Bobby into joining him. Ever since the disaster-laden year of 1964 dubbed by the media – the Year Things Almost Fell Apart – Bobby had done his best to avoid politics for the time being. As he had told his wife the day after Inauguration Day. “At least for the next three years this Kennedy family is going to have one motto – Have fun!”
And have fun they did. Visits to the zoo, vacations in foreign countries, travelling the U.S., these past years had been a wonderful time and had seen the stress-filled Bobby finally relax. He had assiduously avoided news reporters who tried to corner him on whether he would run in ’68. And Ethel was glad to have her husband “back full-time” as she described those years in a Women’s Day article.
Then had come that fateful visit to the circus in ’66 with George Plimpton. Afterward George had discussed his upcoming circus project with Kennedy at their home. And before you knew it Bobby wanted in on the project being a journalism major himself. And Plimpton and Kennedy decided they would write about circus performers from the perspective of the trapeze flyers.
To say that Ethel Kennedy and the rest of the Kennedy family were upset with Bobby’s plans would be a great understatement! Rose Kennedy, once she learned about Bobby’s project, threatened to disown him. But Bobby had the Kennedy s stubbornness and determination. Once he decided he was going to do something he stuck to his guns no matter what.
In the fall of 1966 Robert and George had approached the people at the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus to propose their idea. The publicity aspect of this of course immediately prompted the owners of the circus to say yes. Plimpton had wanted to start training a month or two before their actual performance, but Kennedy nixed the idea. They would start training and practicing while the circus was in its winter quarters. Kennedy wanted to do things right and that meant training and getting their bodies in shape for their one-time performance.
Working with the Flying Alexanders the two had begun training in December of 1966. As Kennedy would write in the book published by him and George Plimpton later:
Kennedy and Plimpton would travel with the circus on and off for the next seven months learning the ropes, literally at times and practicing with the Alexanders. Kennedy didn’t want Plimpton or himself to do anything halfway. They would only be in one performance and Kennedy wanted the tricks they would do to be perfect.
As a concession to Ethel’s frazzled nerves Kennedy promised that he and George would only do the ‘simplest’ of tricks during their one performance. That still didn’t calm her, but she put on a brave show in front of her husband for the children. And of course, all their children were excited. As mentioned earlier what child doesn’t love the circus and what child can boast in school that his dad was a circus star?
Now Ethel watched as the ringmaster announced the next act. When the name George Plimpton was announced there was a polite applause. George was not well known at this time outside literary circles. But when Kennedy’s name was announced the crowd Ethel would later swear did a double take! Who?
Ethel would later relate to her husband the reactions of the crowd in his book.
Wearing the spangled costumes of the trapeze artist like the Alexanders first Plimpton then Kennedy carefully climbed the rope ladder to the platform. Again, Kennedy would relate later:
The time quickly came for Kennedy and Plimpton to perform their trick. First, George Plimpton flew out and did a quick pass to the catcher, Bobby Yerkes, who caught him and then made a pass back to the trapeze. Plimpton would later write in his book:
Then it was Bobby’s turn. He took off on the trapeze like he had been born to do it commented one of the Alexanders later. Bobby did a pass with Bob Yerkes grabbing him by his legs and swinging him out over the crowd. At that moment Ethel had grabbed some binoculars and trained them in his direction. She would swear later she saw Bobby look down in her direction and wink at her!
To Ethel’s relief Bobby safely returned to the platform. She was even more relieved as the act ended and her husband and Plimpton descended via the net of course and dismounted like regular trapeze stars. The audience went wild with more chants of “Bobby, Bobby!”
Ethel was relieved when the act ended. And again, that would be an understatement. But she had to admit the children’s’ reaction was one as she would say later of “absolute ecstasy.” And she was just glad to have her husband back safe and sound.
Bobby and George would go on to write their book and the actual act had been recorded on tape to be part of the documentary they would do based on the book for A.B.C. television. The documentary itself would go on to win an Emmy in 1968.
Robert would insist that his share of royalties from both the book and the documentary would go to the Jesse Jackson Memorial Fund which provided young black men and women with scholarships for college.
And Robert’s stint with the circus would also be a surprising boost to his political career when he began his run for president in 1968. One political ad showed the scene of Bobby performing his part of the act with the narrator saying, “He’s not afraid to handle this, do you think he’s afraid of people like Brezhnev?”
---------------------------
P.S. My inspiration for this came from the documentary below.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Interlude: Two Men on the Flying Trapeze
Denver, Colorado; July 7, 1967, 7:15 p.m.:
Ethel Kennedy sat in her seat nervously looking at the program for the next act of the Clyde-Beatty Cole Brothers Circus. Next to her were 7 of her 9 children all of which were extremely excited. After all, how many kids could say their daddy was a circus star?
Ethel thought back to the very moment when this insanity began. A year and a half after her husband had ended his time as Attorney General, in 1966 they had gone to the Barnham and Bailey Circus when it had come to Los Angeles. With them, as a guest, was George Plimpton, noted journalist, columnist, and a friend of the Kennedy family. Plimpton believed that you couldn’t really write about something unless you had first experienced it. He was planning to write a book on the circus as well as a TV documentary on the life of circus people but of course that meant getting into the heart of how they lived.
But did George Plimpton choose to go in for the rough and tumble – but relatively safe route of the roustabouts who put up the tents and helped set up the show from town to town? No. He wanted to see the circus from the perspective of a performer in one of the most elegant and dangerous acts in the circus, the flying trapeze.
But it wasn’t enough that George Plimpton wanted to put his neck on the line, no he had roped her husband Bobby into joining him. Ever since the disaster-laden year of 1964 dubbed by the media – the Year Things Almost Fell Apart – Bobby had done his best to avoid politics for the time being. As he had told his wife the day after Inauguration Day. “At least for the next three years this Kennedy family is going to have one motto – Have fun!”
And have fun they did. Visits to the zoo, vacations in foreign countries, travelling the U.S., these past years had been a wonderful time and had seen the stress-filled Bobby finally relax. He had assiduously avoided news reporters who tried to corner him on whether he would run in ’68. And Ethel was glad to have her husband “back full-time” as she described those years in a Women’s Day article.
Then had come that fateful visit to the circus in ’66 with George Plimpton. Afterward George had discussed his upcoming circus project with Kennedy at their home. And before you knew it Bobby wanted in on the project being a journalism major himself. And Plimpton and Kennedy decided they would write about circus performers from the perspective of the trapeze flyers.
To say that Ethel Kennedy and the rest of the Kennedy family were upset with Bobby’s plans would be a great understatement! Rose Kennedy, once she learned about Bobby’s project, threatened to disown him. But Bobby had the Kennedy s stubbornness and determination. Once he decided he was going to do something he stuck to his guns no matter what.
In the fall of 1966 Robert and George had approached the people at the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus to propose their idea. The publicity aspect of this of course immediately prompted the owners of the circus to say yes. Plimpton had wanted to start training a month or two before their actual performance, but Kennedy nixed the idea. They would start training and practicing while the circus was in its winter quarters. Kennedy wanted to do things right and that meant training and getting their bodies in shape for their one-time performance.
Working with the Flying Alexanders the two had begun training in December of 1966. As Kennedy would write in the book published by him and George Plimpton later:
“The training period was one of the most physically demanding I have ever experienced. George and I did exercise routines and started using muscles we didn’t even know we had! And those muscles reminded us of that fact every night!
We also had to learn a level of teamwork that you didn’t find elsewhere. In the circus you depend on one another. And often that dependence means the difference between life and death.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze by Robert F. Kennedy and George Plimpton, published 1969)
Kennedy and Plimpton would travel with the circus on and off for the next seven months learning the ropes, literally at times and practicing with the Alexanders. Kennedy didn’t want Plimpton or himself to do anything halfway. They would only be in one performance and Kennedy wanted the tricks they would do to be perfect.
As a concession to Ethel’s frazzled nerves Kennedy promised that he and George would only do the ‘simplest’ of tricks during their one performance. That still didn’t calm her, but she put on a brave show in front of her husband for the children. And of course, all their children were excited. As mentioned earlier what child doesn’t love the circus and what child can boast in school that his dad was a circus star?
Now Ethel watched as the ringmaster announced the next act. When the name George Plimpton was announced there was a polite applause. George was not well known at this time outside literary circles. But when Kennedy’s name was announced the crowd Ethel would later swear did a double take! Who?
Ethel would later relate to her husband the reactions of the crowd in his book.
“I could see the looks on several faces portraying sheer disbelief. Bobby was a well-known face, and he had many fans in the crowd. After several seconds the cry of ‘Bobby, Bobby, Bobby’ started coming from many of the young teen and adult members of the crowd. ‘The ‘Kennedy magic’ was apparent even here under the Big Top!” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
Wearing the spangled costumes of the trapeze artist like the Alexanders first Plimpton then Kennedy carefully climbed the rope ladder to the platform. Again, Kennedy would relate later:
“The one part of the whole business that truly tried my nerves was climbing up to the platform. As both George and I had learned the most dangerous point of the trapeze act is the climb up and getting to the platform. Once there a lot of the nervousness was gone.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
The time quickly came for Kennedy and Plimpton to perform their trick. First, George Plimpton flew out and did a quick pass to the catcher, Bobby Yerkes, who caught him and then made a pass back to the trapeze. Plimpton would later write in his book:
“The first time I did this in training I found I tore a muscle in my shoulder. It took a month for it to heal. But by the time I finally performed the trick before a crowd it had become second nature for me to know how to do it.” (Ibid. see above)
Then it was Bobby’s turn. He took off on the trapeze like he had been born to do it commented one of the Alexanders later. Bobby did a pass with Bob Yerkes grabbing him by his legs and swinging him out over the crowd. At that moment Ethel had grabbed some binoculars and trained them in his direction. She would swear later she saw Bobby look down in her direction and wink at her!
To Ethel’s relief Bobby safely returned to the platform. She was even more relieved as the act ended and her husband and Plimpton descended via the net of course and dismounted like regular trapeze stars. The audience went wild with more chants of “Bobby, Bobby!”
Ethel was relieved when the act ended. And again, that would be an understatement. But she had to admit the children’s’ reaction was one as she would say later of “absolute ecstasy.” And she was just glad to have her husband back safe and sound.
Bobby and George would go on to write their book and the actual act had been recorded on tape to be part of the documentary they would do based on the book for A.B.C. television. The documentary itself would go on to win an Emmy in 1968.
Robert would insist that his share of royalties from both the book and the documentary would go to the Jesse Jackson Memorial Fund which provided young black men and women with scholarships for college.
And Robert’s stint with the circus would also be a surprising boost to his political career when he began his run for president in 1968. One political ad showed the scene of Bobby performing his part of the act with the narrator saying, “He’s not afraid to handle this, do you think he’s afraid of people like Brezhnev?”
---------------------------
P.S. My inspiration for this came from the documentary below.
This was fun!Here is a lighthearted little offering for the Christmas season. As I told you in an earlier post I am fond of the circus and this is what I had in mind back then. I am writing this as my muse kicked into high gear last night while I was eating supper and I had to write this down. Also, I wanted to change the tone a bit given how dark my TL has been. To @ric350 and others who may have suspicions that I am moving toward a dystopia I sincerely hope this little bit of whimsy will correct that perception. Please enjoy and have a Merry Christmas.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Interlude: Two Men on the Flying Trapeze
Denver, Colorado; July 7, 1967, 7:15 p.m.:
Ethel Kennedy sat in her seat nervously looking at the program for the next act of the Clyde-Beatty Cole Brothers Circus. Next to her were 7 of her 9 children all of which were extremely excited. After all, how many kids could say their daddy was a circus star?
Ethel thought back to the very moment when this insanity began. A year and a half after her husband had ended his time as Attorney General, in 1966 they had gone to the Barnham and Bailey Circus when it had come to Los Angeles. With them, as a guest, was George Plimpton, noted journalist, columnist, and a friend of the Kennedy family. Plimpton believed that you couldn’t really write about something unless you had first experienced it. He was planning to write a book on the circus as well as a TV documentary on the life of circus people but of course that meant getting into the heart of how they lived.
But did George Plimpton choose to go in for the rough and tumble – but relatively safe route of the roustabouts who put up the tents and helped set up the show from town to town? No. He wanted to see the circus from the perspective of a performer in one of the most elegant and dangerous acts in the circus, the flying trapeze.
But it wasn’t enough that George Plimpton wanted to put his neck on the line, no he had roped her husband Bobby into joining him. Ever since the disaster-laden year of 1964 dubbed by the media – the Year Things Almost Fell Apart – Bobby had done his best to avoid politics for the time being. As he had told his wife the day after Inauguration Day. “At least for the next three years this Kennedy family is going to have one motto – Have fun!”
And have fun they did. Visits to the zoo, vacations in foreign countries, travelling the U.S., these past years had been a wonderful time and had seen the stress-filled Bobby finally relax. He had assiduously avoided news reporters who tried to corner him on whether he would run in ’68. And Ethel was glad to have her husband “back full-time” as she described those years in a Women’s Day article.
Then had come that fateful visit to the circus in ’66 with George Plimpton. Afterward George had discussed his upcoming circus project with Kennedy at their home. And before you knew it Bobby wanted in on the project being a journalism major himself. And Plimpton and Kennedy decided they would write about circus performers from the perspective of the trapeze flyers.
To say that Ethel Kennedy and the rest of the Kennedy family were upset with Bobby’s plans would be a great understatement! Rose Kennedy, once she learned about Bobby’s project, threatened to disown him. But Bobby had the Kennedy s stubbornness and determination. Once he decided he was going to do something he stuck to his guns no matter what.
In the fall of 1966 Robert and George had approached the people at the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus to propose their idea. The publicity aspect of this of course immediately prompted the owners of the circus to say yes. Plimpton had wanted to start training a month or two before their actual performance, but Kennedy nixed the idea. They would start training and practicing while the circus was in its winter quarters. Kennedy wanted to do things right and that meant training and getting their bodies in shape for their one-time performance.
Working with the Flying Alexanders the two had begun training in December of 1966. As Kennedy would write in the book published by him and George Plimpton later:
“The training period was one of the most physically demanding I have ever experienced. George and I did exercise routines and started using muscles we didn’t even know we had! And those muscles reminded us of that fact every night!
We also had to learn a level of teamwork that you didn’t find elsewhere. In the circus you depend on one another. And often that dependence means the difference between life and death.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze by Robert F. Kennedy and George Plimpton, published 1969)
Kennedy and Plimpton would travel with the circus on and off for the next seven months learning the ropes, literally at times and practicing with the Alexanders. Kennedy didn’t want Plimpton or himself to do anything halfway. They would only be in one performance and Kennedy wanted the tricks they would do to be perfect.
As a concession to Ethel’s frazzled nerves Kennedy promised that he and George would only do the ‘simplest’ of tricks during their one performance. That still didn’t calm her, but she put on a brave show in front of her husband for the children. And of course, all their children were excited. As mentioned earlier what child doesn’t love the circus and what child can boast in school that his dad was a circus star?
Now Ethel watched as the ringmaster announced the next act. When the name George Plimpton was announced there was a polite applause. George was not well known at this time outside literary circles. But when Kennedy’s name was announced the crowd Ethel would later swear did a double take! Who?
Ethel would later relate to her husband the reactions of the crowd in his book.
“I could see the looks on several faces portraying sheer disbelief. Bobby was a well-known face, and he had many fans in the crowd. After several seconds the cry of ‘Bobby, Bobby, Bobby’ started coming from many of the young teen and adult members of the crowd. ‘The ‘Kennedy magic’ was apparent even here under the Big Top!” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
Wearing the spangled costumes of the trapeze artist like the Alexanders first Plimpton then Kennedy carefully climbed the rope ladder to the platform. Again, Kennedy would relate later:
“The one part of the whole business that truly tried my nerves was climbing up to the platform. As both George and I had learned the most dangerous point of the trapeze act is the climb up and getting to the platform. Once there a lot of the nervousness was gone.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
The time quickly came for Kennedy and Plimpton to perform their trick. First, George Plimpton flew out and did a quick pass to the catcher, Bobby Yerkes, who caught him and then made a pass back to the trapeze. Plimpton would later write in his book:
“The first time I did this in training I found I tore a muscle in my shoulder. It took a month for it to heal. But by the time I finally performed the trick before a crowd it had become second nature for me to know how to do it.” (Ibid. see above)
Then it was Bobby’s turn. He took off on the trapeze like he had been born to do it commented one of the Alexanders later. Bobby did a pass with Bob Yerkes grabbing him by his legs and swinging him out over the crowd. At that moment Ethel had grabbed some binoculars and trained them in his direction. She would swear later she saw Bobby look down in her direction and wink at her!
To Ethel’s relief Bobby safely returned to the platform. She was even more relieved as the act ended and her husband and Plimpton descended via the net of course and dismounted like regular trapeze stars. The audience went wild with more chants of “Bobby, Bobby!”
Ethel was relieved when the act ended. And again, that would be an understatement. But she had to admit the children’s’ reaction was one as she would say later of “absolute ecstasy.” And she was just glad to have her husband back safe and sound.
Bobby and George would go on to write their book and the actual act had been recorded on tape to be part of the documentary they would do based on the book for A.B.C. television. The documentary itself would go on to win an Emmy in 1968.
Robert would insist that his share of royalties from both the book and the documentary would go to the Jesse Jackson Memorial Fund which provided young black men and women with scholarships for college.
And Robert’s stint with the circus would also be a surprising boost to his political career when he began his run for president in 1968. One political ad showed the scene of Bobby performing his part of the act with the narrator saying, “He’s not afraid to handle this, do you think he’s afraid of people like Brezhnev?”
---------------------------
P.S. My inspiration for this came from the documentary below.
Nice, sweet, innocent and fun!Here is a lighthearted little offering for the Christmas season. As I told you in an earlier post I am fond of the circus and this is what I had in mind back then. I am writing this as my muse kicked into high gear last night while I was eating supper and I had to write this down. Also, I wanted to change the tone a bit given how dark my TL has been. To @ric350 and others who may have suspicions that I am moving toward a dystopia I sincerely hope this little bit of whimsy will correct that perception. Please enjoy and have a Merry Christmas.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Interlude: Two Men on the Flying Trapeze
Denver, Colorado; July 7, 1967, 7:15 p.m.:
Ethel Kennedy sat in her seat nervously looking at the program for the next act of the Clyde-Beatty Cole Brothers Circus. Next to her were 7 of her 9 children all of which were extremely excited. After all, how many kids could say their daddy was a circus star?
Ethel thought back to the very moment when this insanity began. A year and a half after her husband had ended his time as Attorney General, in 1966 they had gone to the Barnham and Bailey Circus when it had come to Los Angeles. With them, as a guest, was George Plimpton, noted journalist, columnist, and a friend of the Kennedy family. Plimpton believed that you couldn’t really write about something unless you had first experienced it. He was planning to write a book on the circus as well as a TV documentary on the life of circus people but of course that meant getting into the heart of how they lived.
But did George Plimpton choose to go in for the rough and tumble – but relatively safe route of the roustabouts who put up the tents and helped set up the show from town to town? No. He wanted to see the circus from the perspective of a performer in one of the most elegant and dangerous acts in the circus, the flying trapeze.
But it wasn’t enough that George Plimpton wanted to put his neck on the line, no he had roped her husband Bobby into joining him. Ever since the disaster-laden year of 1964 dubbed by the media – the Year Things Almost Fell Apart – Bobby had done his best to avoid politics for the time being. As he had told his wife the day after Inauguration Day. “At least for the next three years this Kennedy family is going to have one motto – Have fun!”
And have fun they did. Visits to the zoo, vacations in foreign countries, travelling the U.S., these past years had been a wonderful time and had seen the stress-filled Bobby finally relax. He had assiduously avoided news reporters who tried to corner him on whether he would run in ’68. And Ethel was glad to have her husband “back full-time” as she described those years in a Women’s Day article.
Then had come that fateful visit to the circus in ’66 with George Plimpton. Afterward George had discussed his upcoming circus project with Kennedy at their home. And before you knew it Bobby wanted in on the project being a journalism major himself. And Plimpton and Kennedy decided they would write about circus performers from the perspective of the trapeze flyers.
To say that Ethel Kennedy and the rest of the Kennedy family were upset with Bobby’s plans would be a great understatement! Rose Kennedy, once she learned about Bobby’s project, threatened to disown him. But Bobby had the Kennedy s stubbornness and determination. Once he decided he was going to do something he stuck to his guns no matter what.
In the fall of 1966 Robert and George had approached the people at the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus to propose their idea. The publicity aspect of this of course immediately prompted the owners of the circus to say yes. Plimpton had wanted to start training a month or two before their actual performance, but Kennedy nixed the idea. They would start training and practicing while the circus was in its winter quarters. Kennedy wanted to do things right and that meant training and getting their bodies in shape for their one-time performance.
Working with the Flying Alexanders the two had begun training in December of 1966. As Kennedy would write in the book published by him and George Plimpton later:
“The training period was one of the most physically demanding I have ever experienced. George and I did exercise routines and started using muscles we didn’t even know we had! And those muscles reminded us of that fact every night!
We also had to learn a level of teamwork that you didn’t find elsewhere. In the circus you depend on one another. And often that dependence means the difference between life and death.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze by Robert F. Kennedy and George Plimpton, published 1969)
Kennedy and Plimpton would travel with the circus on and off for the next seven months learning the ropes, literally at times and practicing with the Alexanders. Kennedy didn’t want Plimpton or himself to do anything halfway. They would only be in one performance and Kennedy wanted the tricks they would do to be perfect.
As a concession to Ethel’s frazzled nerves Kennedy promised that he and George would only do the ‘simplest’ of tricks during their one performance. That still didn’t calm her, but she put on a brave show in front of her husband for the children. And of course, all their children were excited. As mentioned earlier what child doesn’t love the circus and what child can boast in school that his dad was a circus star?
Now Ethel watched as the ringmaster announced the next act. When the name George Plimpton was announced there was a polite applause. George was not well known at this time outside literary circles. But when Kennedy’s name was announced the crowd Ethel would later swear did a double take! Who?
Ethel would later relate to her husband the reactions of the crowd in his book.
“I could see the looks on several faces portraying sheer disbelief. Bobby was a well-known face, and he had many fans in the crowd. After several seconds the cry of ‘Bobby, Bobby, Bobby’ started coming from many of the young teen and adult members of the crowd. ‘The ‘Kennedy magic’ was apparent even here under the Big Top!” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
Wearing the spangled costumes of the trapeze artist like the Alexanders first Plimpton then Kennedy carefully climbed the rope ladder to the platform. Again, Kennedy would relate later:
“The one part of the whole business that truly tried my nerves was climbing up to the platform. As both George and I had learned the most dangerous point of the trapeze act is the climb up and getting to the platform. Once there a lot of the nervousness was gone.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
The time quickly came for Kennedy and Plimpton to perform their trick. First, George Plimpton flew out and did a quick pass to the catcher, Bobby Yerkes, who caught him and then made a pass back to the trapeze. Plimpton would later write in his book:
“The first time I did this in training I found I tore a muscle in my shoulder. It took a month for it to heal. But by the time I finally performed the trick before a crowd it had become second nature for me to know how to do it.” (Ibid. see above)
Then it was Bobby’s turn. He took off on the trapeze like he had been born to do it commented one of the Alexanders later. Bobby did a pass with Bob Yerkes grabbing him by his legs and swinging him out over the crowd. At that moment Ethel had grabbed some binoculars and trained them in his direction. She would swear later she saw Bobby look down in her direction and wink at her!
To Ethel’s relief Bobby safely returned to the platform. She was even more relieved as the act ended and her husband and Plimpton descended via the net of course and dismounted like regular trapeze stars. The audience went wild with more chants of “Bobby, Bobby!”
Ethel was relieved when the act ended. And again, that would be an understatement. But she had to admit the children’s’ reaction was one as she would say later of “absolute ecstasy.” And she was just glad to have her husband back safe and sound.
Bobby and George would go on to write their book and the actual act had been recorded on tape to be part of the documentary they would do based on the book for A.B.C. television. The documentary itself would go on to win an Emmy in 1968.
Robert would insist that his share of royalties from both the book and the documentary would go to the Jesse Jackson Memorial Fund which provided young black men and women with scholarships for college.
And Robert’s stint with the circus would also be a surprising boost to his political career when he began his run for president in 1968. One political ad showed the scene of Bobby performing his part of the act with the narrator saying, “He’s not afraid to handle this, do you think he’s afraid of people like Brezhnev?”
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P.S. My inspiration for this came from the documentary below.
Great, especially given how dark this TL has become....
Keep up the good work!
So Bobby doesn’t run in 1964. Nice to see that he and his family are having a good time though, that is what really matters.Here is a lighthearted little offering for the Christmas season. As I told you in an earlier post I am fond of the circus and this is what I had in mind back then. I am writing this as my muse kicked into high gear last night while I was eating supper and I had to write this down. Also, I wanted to change the tone a bit given how dark my TL has been. To @ric350 and others who may have suspicions that I am moving toward a dystopia I sincerely hope this little bit of whimsy will correct that perception. Please enjoy and have a Merry Christmas.
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Interlude: Two Men on the Flying Trapeze
Denver, Colorado; July 7, 1967, 7:15 p.m.:
Ethel Kennedy sat in her seat nervously looking at the program for the next act of the Clyde-Beatty Cole Brothers Circus. Next to her were 7 of her 9 children all of which were extremely excited. After all, how many kids could say their daddy was a circus star?
Ethel thought back to the very moment when this insanity began. A year and a half after her husband had ended his time as Attorney General, in 1966 they had gone to the Barnham and Bailey Circus when it had come to Los Angeles. With them, as a guest, was George Plimpton, noted journalist, columnist, and a friend of the Kennedy family. Plimpton believed that you couldn’t really write about something unless you had first experienced it. He was planning to write a book on the circus as well as a TV documentary on the life of circus people but of course that meant getting into the heart of how they lived.
But did George Plimpton choose to go in for the rough and tumble – but relatively safe route of the roustabouts who put up the tents and helped set up the show from town to town? No. He wanted to see the circus from the perspective of a performer in one of the most elegant and dangerous acts in the circus, the flying trapeze.
But it wasn’t enough that George Plimpton wanted to put his neck on the line, no he had roped her husband Bobby into joining him. Ever since the disaster-laden year of 1964 dubbed by the media – the Year Things Almost Fell Apart – Bobby had done his best to avoid politics for the time being. As he had told his wife the day after Inauguration Day. “At least for the next three years this Kennedy family is going to have one motto – Have fun!”
And have fun they did. Visits to the zoo, vacations in foreign countries, travelling the U.S., these past years had been a wonderful time and had seen the stress-filled Bobby finally relax. He had assiduously avoided news reporters who tried to corner him on whether he would run in ’68. And Ethel was glad to have her husband “back full-time” as she described those years in a Women’s Day article.
Then had come that fateful visit to the circus in ’66 with George Plimpton. Afterward George had discussed his upcoming circus project with Kennedy at their home. And before you knew it Bobby wanted in on the project being a journalism major himself. And Plimpton and Kennedy decided they would write about circus performers from the perspective of the trapeze flyers.
To say that Ethel Kennedy and the rest of the Kennedy family were upset with Bobby’s plans would be a great understatement! Rose Kennedy, once she learned about Bobby’s project, threatened to disown him. But Bobby had the Kennedy s stubbornness and determination. Once he decided he was going to do something he stuck to his guns no matter what.
In the fall of 1966 Robert and George had approached the people at the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus to propose their idea. The publicity aspect of this of course immediately prompted the owners of the circus to say yes. Plimpton had wanted to start training a month or two before their actual performance, but Kennedy nixed the idea. They would start training and practicing while the circus was in its winter quarters. Kennedy wanted to do things right and that meant training and getting their bodies in shape for their one-time performance.
Working with the Flying Alexanders the two had begun training in December of 1966. As Kennedy would write in the book published by him and George Plimpton later:
“The training period was one of the most physically demanding I have ever experienced. George and I did exercise routines and started using muscles we didn’t even know we had! And those muscles reminded us of that fact every night!
We also had to learn a level of teamwork that you didn’t find elsewhere. In the circus you depend on one another. And often that dependence means the difference between life and death.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze by Robert F. Kennedy and George Plimpton, published 1969)
Kennedy and Plimpton would travel with the circus on and off for the next seven months learning the ropes, literally at times and practicing with the Alexanders. Kennedy didn’t want Plimpton or himself to do anything halfway. They would only be in one performance and Kennedy wanted the tricks they would do to be perfect.
As a concession to Ethel’s frazzled nerves Kennedy promised that he and George would only do the ‘simplest’ of tricks during their one performance. That still didn’t calm her, but she put on a brave show in front of her husband for the children. And of course, all their children were excited. As mentioned earlier what child doesn’t love the circus and what child can boast in school that his dad was a circus star?
Now Ethel watched as the ringmaster announced the next act. When the name George Plimpton was announced there was a polite applause. George was not well known at this time outside literary circles. But when Kennedy’s name was announced the crowd Ethel would later swear did a double take! Who?
Ethel would later relate to her husband the reactions of the crowd in his book.
“I could see the looks on several faces portraying sheer disbelief. Bobby was a well-known face, and he had many fans in the crowd. After several seconds the cry of ‘Bobby, Bobby, Bobby’ started coming from many of the young teen and adult members of the crowd. ‘The ‘Kennedy magic’ was apparent even here under the Big Top!” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
Wearing the spangled costumes of the trapeze artist like the Alexanders first Plimpton then Kennedy carefully climbed the rope ladder to the platform. Again, Kennedy would relate later:
“The one part of the whole business that truly tried my nerves was climbing up to the platform. As both George and I had learned the most dangerous point of the trapeze act is the climb up and getting to the platform. Once there a lot of the nervousness was gone.” (From Two Men on a Trapeze)
The time quickly came for Kennedy and Plimpton to perform their trick. First, George Plimpton flew out and did a quick pass to the catcher, Bobby Yerkes, who caught him and then made a pass back to the trapeze. Plimpton would later write in his book:
“The first time I did this in training I found I tore a muscle in my shoulder. It took a month for it to heal. But by the time I finally performed the trick before a crowd it had become second nature for me to know how to do it.” (Ibid. see above)
Then it was Bobby’s turn. He took off on the trapeze like he had been born to do it commented one of the Alexanders later. Bobby did a pass with Bob Yerkes grabbing him by his legs and swinging him out over the crowd. At that moment Ethel had grabbed some binoculars and trained them in his direction. She would swear later she saw Bobby look down in her direction and wink at her!
To Ethel’s relief Bobby safely returned to the platform. She was even more relieved as the act ended and her husband and Plimpton descended via the net of course and dismounted like regular trapeze stars. The audience went wild with more chants of “Bobby, Bobby!”
Ethel was relieved when the act ended. And again, that would be an understatement. But she had to admit the children’s’ reaction was one as she would say later of “absolute ecstasy.” And she was just glad to have her husband back safe and sound.
Bobby and George would go on to write their book and the actual act had been recorded on tape to be part of the documentary they would do based on the book for A.B.C. television. The documentary itself would go on to win an Emmy in 1968.
Robert would insist that his share of royalties from both the book and the documentary would go to the Jesse Jackson Memorial Fund which provided young black men and women with scholarships for college.
And Robert’s stint with the circus would also be a surprising boost to his political career when he began his run for president in 1968. One political ad showed the scene of Bobby performing his part of the act with the narrator saying, “He’s not afraid to handle this, do you think he’s afraid of people like Brezhnev?”
---------------------------
P.S. My inspiration for this came from the documentary below.
Considering that there’s a Jesse Jackson Memorial I can only wonder what happened to him.
Okay so I just caught up with the timeline. Great updates so far!
One question though. In one of the chapters, the 101st Airborne is deployed. Wouldn't that not be constitutional as the U.S. military cannot operate on domestic matters (Posse Comitatus Act) so it would go to the National Guard and the local, state, and federal police instead?
One question though. In one of the chapters, the 101st Airborne is deployed. Wouldn't that not be constitutional as the U.S. military cannot operate on domestic matters (Posse Comitatus Act) so it would go to the National Guard and the local, state, and federal police instead?
That is technically true however it's also not without precedent. The division was also deployed by President Eisenhower in Little Rock, AR to enforce school integration. Granted, this was after the National Guard had been deployed to bar black students from entering the school but it still happened.
yes, the events that let to change in Power in USSR, already set in motion since October 1962 !